"You look amazing, Makayla." The woman in question blushed and sat in the chair pulled out for her. She had expected a compliment or two; hearing the man speak of her in such a way made her nervous. A soft chuckle left her mouth, and she quickly covered it up with a low cough. Her date didn't notice and moved to sit back down. They were in a restaurant that reminded the brunette of the 1950s. The glamour was overwhelming,...

I heard this story from my maternal grandmother, Marcie, who was a student in the mid-sixties in South Africa. 'I'm telling you this, Jacky, because you need a proper compass in life. I did the same for your mother and it has served her well.' She grinned a little wickedly and added, 'The bottom line is to avoid the straight and narrow, and wander down the alleys in byways of life to pick up experience. I've seen so many...

Destiny stood under the showerhead with her fingers combing through her wet, curly hair. The dark-skinned woman was taking a shower after a hard day at school. She'd been dealing with a lot because of the pressures her degree was putting on her shoulder. The woman was currently pursuing a career in public relations with a minor in public policy. It was a stepping stone to graduate school and a life working for the state i...

Mika never came by on Fridays. There had always been something else going on – late classes, gym workouts, Girl’s Nights, pool at the student union – but he’d come to accept that he would spend his Friday nights by himself. He justified it as a trade-off for continuing to date a woman over forty years his junior. So when Jeff saw her step out of the rideshare car at the edge of his lawn, he was shocked. She’d texted him e...

“Thank you for doing this,” the meek woman gave her friend a small smile as he took her things and loaded them into his backseat. She had so much to bring home from work and she felt ashamed that she had not mentioned it before. “I promise I didn't know it wouldn't fit.” A hearty laugh filled her ears and the car door slammed shut. Destiny jumped from the noise, stumbling back into her sandals before calming down and blus...

Tawny’s heart pounded as she fumbled with the keys, her hands trembling just enough to make the lock seem like a puzzle. The house was dark, quiet—exactly how she’d left it that morning. Perfect. She slipped inside, her breath catching when she heard the low rumble of Scott’s voice in the kitchen. “Hey, babe,” he called out, his tone warm and gravelly, the kind that made her stomach flip. “Thought you’d never get here.” S...

“You’re finally here,” I said excitedly as I threw my arms around Scott ,49, inhaling his cologne. “It’s good to see you too, Tawny,” he replied, his voice low and gravelly. I could feel his stubble against my cheek, and I shivered with anticipation. We had been talking for months, ever since we met on that online forum for long-haul truckers. I was from Minnesota, and he was from Pittsburgh, but we had finally found a wa...

Glowering at Jackson, I spoke in an equally cold voice. "What are you doing here?" I noticed his jaw tighten. Clearly, he thought I'd be thrilled by his unexpected appearance at my job. He'd never showed up here before; hell, I was surprised he remembered where I worked. For a moment, he looked uncertain. Running a hand through his dark hair, he seemed to struggle for the right words. "I couldn't reach you," he finally bl...